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  • 2 weeks later...

I asked Zachary Wolf at Leica USA about BP SCL5 Batteries and what they are unavailable and this was his reply:

“To my knowledge there is a production issue overseas which is being addressed as quickly as possible.”

 

Fortunately, I have a few SCL5 batteries so I am in good shape for now.

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This battery supply issue (to the US, at least) goes back nearly a year from threads I’ve been reading. It’s pretty frustrating as a new M10 owner that it’s impossible to get just one backup battery. Say what you will about 3rd party batteries but at least they provided an alternative. I’ve used WP batteries in all my other cameras and have never had them fail like I’ve been reading about the BP-SCL5, a $200 battery. 

I sent Leica an e-mail earlier this week and they just replied to me this morning, saying the same thing I’ve been reading on other forums that there is a supplier side issue but, “We have taken steps to ensure continued availability.”

Make of that what you will, but they are still not able to provide any dates for general availability.

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Well, given that the camera was introduced eight years ago and that there have been a few things happening in the world since then, it cannot come as a huge surprise that some items that cannot be stocked long-term and have to come halfway across the world occasionally suffer from supply hiccups. 

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I think they are not unable to supply those batteries, shipping seems to be an issue…

Some Leica stores in Germany do have them on stock, however no online availability.

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On 3/5/2025 at 9:03 AM, jaapv said:

Well, given that the camera was introduced eight years ago and that there have been a few things happening in the world since then, it cannot come as a huge surprise that some items that cannot be stocked long-term and have to come halfway across the world occasionally suffer from supply hiccups. 

I get where you’re coming from, but that still doesn’t seem entirely fair. Leica was selling the M10-R which uses the BP-SCL5 battery until late January 2023 according to most major retailers. So, it’s not like this is an ancient product. It’s reasonable for people to expect continued support, especially when these cameras are such a big investment.

I understand supply chain issues happen, but for a company with such a loyal customer base, it would be nice if Leica paid a bit more attention to these kinds of things, especially since it feels like they’re nudging people toward their newer models with a new battery.

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On 3/7/2025 at 12:46 PM, Fred Miranda said:

I get where you’re coming from, but that still doesn’t seem entirely fair. Leica was selling the M10-R which uses the BP-SCL5 battery until late January 2023 according to most major retailers. So, it’s not like this is an ancient product. It’s reasonable for people to expect continued support, especially when these cameras are such a big investment.

I understand supply chain issues happen, but for a company with such a loyal customer base, it would be nice if Leica paid a bit more attention to these kinds of things, especially since it feels like they’re nudging people toward their newer models with a new battery.

They should also provide an actual, factual explanation. This near silence broken only by occasional PR releases containing bland corporate speak is well below them. We should be treated better. 

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I keep reading about availability issues in various places (I have not tried to buy batteries for my M10-P, since I got it used a year ago and it came with three batteries, that all seem to work... still reading about these issues makes me uncomfortable of course) so this makes me wondering: at this pace, is Leica not going to be at fault with laws in one place or another quite soon ?

Wherever there is a law on right to repair, being unable to provide spare batteries on an item that is less than 3 years old should not be safe in the legal point of view...

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On 3/9/2025 at 8:41 AM, AceVentura1986 said:

They should also provide an actual, factual explanation. This near silence broken only by occasional PR releases containing bland corporate speak is well below them. We should be treated better. 

I agree, they should.

I don’t think this is well below them though, this is about where they’ve always been in treating customers. The marketing/PR dept seemingly has this company squeezed by the nuts, which is just that much more shameful given the role they like to tout in the history of journalism. 

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Posted (edited)

Not sure if Leica UK will ship overseas but the BP-SCL5 is now back in stock.  Maybe an indication of supplies starting again.

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11 minutes ago, 84bravo said:

I have a brand new battery that is flat out of the box. I let it sit too long in a drawer. Any suggestions on how to bring it back to life?

Google “jump start camera battery” it’s pretty easy.

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 3/27/2025 at 1:56 PM, jdlaing said:

Google “jump start camera battery” it’s pretty easy.

I have purchased a M10 recently which was last serviced in July 2022. From its condition it was quite likely sitting in a drawer since then. Batteries were hence idle for around 20 months. 

I have three batteries and charging never completes to the point a solid green light is shown. When installed in to the camera I get just 2 bars (Leica app indicating 20%).

Is there anyway to get an overall health of the battery ?

Or is there anyway to revitalize the battery ? 

Would the jump start help ?

 

 

 

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I would not attempt to try to fix it even if there are some tricks to be found on the Internet. Either the battery is simply at the end of life, the battery management system may be defect, or the membranes may have clogged up by improper storage. All remedies you'll find like using an uncontrolled power source to "jump start" the battery, will carry a real risk of setting the battery on fire (and you don't want to have a Lithium fire!) or even having it explode.

Use it as-is and buy new batteries, no matter that it may take some effort to find them.

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On 3/27/2025 at 1:44 PM, 84bravo said:

I have a brand new battery that is flat out of the box. I let it sit too long in a drawer. Any suggestions on how to bring it back to life?

Contact Leica Wetzlar.

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On 4/7/2025 at 4:51 AM, David__ said:

I have purchased a M10 recently which was last serviced in July 2022. From its condition it was quite likely sitting in a drawer since then. Batteries were hence idle for around 20 months. 

I have three batteries and charging never completes to the point a solid green light is shown. When installed in to the camera I get just 2 bars (Leica app indicating 20%).

Is there anyway to get an overall health of the battery ?

Or is there anyway to revitalize the battery ? 

Would the jump start help ?

 

 

 

Yes

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